Covington & Burling has appointed Fred Knecht as a partner in its corporate practice, focusing on capital markets and securities regulatory matters.
He will be resident in Covington’s New York office.
Knecht has nearly 20 years of in-house experience at preeminent investment banks, most recently at Merrill Lynch, where he was named managing director and general counsel for global origination and private equity in 2006.
Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Knecht spent 16 years at Goldman Sachs, rising to managing director and head of investment banking legal for the Americas.
Knecht has practiced before securities regulatory organisations, including the SEC, Finra, the NYSE, and Nasdaq. He has also been an active participant in issues affecting the securities industry and other participants in the capital markets, including as a member of various Sifma and New York City Bar securities regulatory committees and task forces.
Knecht’s international experience includes assessment and management of non-US legal and regulatory issues and processes in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Canada.
“Fred Knecht has acted as an advisor to senior executives, bankers and other leaders at two of the most storied investment banks,” says Timothy Hester, chair of Covington’s management committee. “His strong legal and product knowledge, along with his experience in directly handling complex transactions and advisory matters across multiple markets and industries, will greatly enhance our capital markets capabilities and be a valuable asset to our investment banking and other clients.”
Knecht adds: “I have worked with partners from Covington’s capital markets and securities practice for a number of years and am very impressed by the depth and breadth of the firm’s expertise. It is coupled with leading practices in a range of other fields and industries and an unsurpassed firm-wide commitment to excellence and client service. That combination is what attracted me to Covington as I made the decision to return to private practice.”
